Board Members

John Ragheb, MD

President

Ashish H. Shah, MD FAANS

Vice President

Dr. Shah is an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the University of Miami focused on translational research and clinical trials for brain tumors. Aside from his clinical work, Dr. Shah is deeply invested in mitigating global health disparities. Since 2008, Dr. Shah has actively involved with Project Medishare to create a sustainable neurosurgery residency program in Haiti in collaboration with the Haitian Minister of Health, Haiti Healthy Kids and the Dean of the National School of Medicine in Port-Au-Prince. Led by John Ragheb and Barth Green, this work has been internationally recognized by the World Federation of Neurological Surgery and has been funded by national and regional organizations. Dr. Shah is passionate about reducing the burden of global neurologic disease by expanding access to neurosurgery by improving training capacity and building infrastructure.

Catherine Ragheb, RN, BSN, MAS

Treasurer

Catherine Ragheb earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Maryland in 1981 and a Masters in Administrative Science Degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1987.  She has worked in many areas of nursing, including Labor and Delivery, Surgical Intensive Care, Home Nursing, School Nursing and as Director of a Wellness Program.  Mrs. Ragheb became involved in Haiti Healthy Kids when she accompanied her husband on an assessment trip to Haiti.  She was overwhelmed with the degree of severity of these children, never having seen anything like it here in the U.S.  Mrs. Ragheb was impressed by the strong will, pride and perseverance of the Haitian parents.

Patti Green, JD

Secretary

Patricia obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University. Thereafter, she attended the University of Miami Law School, graduating near the top of her class in 1989. For 35 years, as a partner at Stearns Weaver Miller in Miami, she proudly represented providers of affordable housing earmarked for occupancy by families and seniors of limited means. Her favorite day on the job was attending the grand opening of any of her various clients’ communities, where she met residents who typically told her “this is the first decent, safe and clean place I have ever lived”. In addition to her interest in HHK, Patricia supports NPH Haiti, which operates an orphanage in Petionville, caring for hundreds of disadvantaged and vulnerable children.

Rita Bhatia, MD

Board Member

Dr. Rita Bhatia is a graduate of the Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi, India. She completed her Residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 1986. Dr. Bhatia is board certified by the American Board of Radiology and Neuroradiology. She currently serves as an Associate Professor of Neuroradiology and Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Imaging at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami School of Medicine. Dr. Bhatia has accompanied her late husband, Dr. Sanjiv Bhatia on several missions to Haiti, where she served as the Neuroradiologist on site and assisted in the training of the neurosurgical specialists. Rita continues to follow her late husband’s vision and is committed to providing education, training and treatment to the Haitian community.

Barth Green, MD

Board Member

Dr. Barth A. Green, Executive Dean for Global Health and Community Service served 22 years as Chairman of the Department of the Neurological Surgery. He is a Professor of Neurological Surgery, Neurology, Orthopedics, Radiology and Rehabilitation Medicine and a world-renowned specialist in the surgical management of complex spine and spinal cord injuries and disorders.  Dr. Green is a diplomat of the American Board of Neurological Surgeons and a fellow of American College of Surgeons.  He served 37 years in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps where he reached the rank of Lt. Colonel. 

 In 1985 Dr. Green co-founded “The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis,” an internationally acclaimed spinal cord injury and paralysis research center.  In 1990 he co-founded Shake-A-Leg Miami, an adaptive watersport center, which combines education with recreation and annually serves thousands of children and adults with physical, developmental, and economic challenges. Aside from these important initiatives here in the United States, Dr. Green is Chairman of the Board of the Project Medishare for Haiti, which he co-founded in 1994 to help improve the health status of Haiti’s citizens through an integrated and community approach to sustainable development.  Dr. Green also co-founded the University of Miami Global Institute for Community Health and Development, a University of Miami Miller School of Medicine program focused on improving healthcare by capacity building and creating sustainable infrastructure in the healthcare sector focused on the western hemisphere and beyond. He has also been a global leader in disaster response.

In June of 2021, Dr. Green retired from his surgical practice but actively continues his neurosurgery clinic, seeing patients both in person and by telemedicine, as well as overseeing patients during rounds at both UHealth Tower and Jackson Memorial Hospital.  In addition to his clinical work, he dedicates his time as Chairman of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Executive Dean for the Global Institute for Community Health and Development and serves on the board of multiple organizations such as Project Medishare, the Buoniconti Fund, the Maven Project, the Center for Haitian Studies, and Haiti Air Ambulance.

 He has received numerous local, national and international honors and awards for his community service and humanitarian work including:  Humanitarian Award (American Association of Neurological Surgeons), Lawton’s Heart Humanitarian Award (Florida Association of Nonprofit Organizations), the Dorothy Shula Award for Outstanding Volunteerism (United Way of Miami Dade County), the Chairman’s Recognition Humanitarian Award (Florida Board of Medicine), the President’s Medal (University of Miami), the Healthcare Heros Award (Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce) and the James W. McLamore Outstanding Service Award (University of Miami Faculty Senate). Dr. Green authored and coauthored hundreds of peer reviewed articles, abstracts and book chapters and has received numerous federal and foundation grants and endowed chairs. He has lectured locally, nationally, and globally and continues all of these activities in 2023.

 Founding Board Members

Sanjiv Bhatia, MD

The late Dr. Sanjiv Bhatia graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Science in 1980 and then completed his Neurosurgical training at the same Institution in 1986. He joined the Department of Neurosurgery at All India Institute of Medical Sciences as an Assistant Professor before coming to US in 1992. He worked at the NIH and the Boston VA Medical Center before completing another residency at the University of Miami. Dr. Bhatia then completed a fellowship in Skull Base/Vascular Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery in 2002-4. Since then he has been working as the Pediatric Neurosurgeon at the Miami Children’s Hospital and the University of Miami. Read More: In Memorial